Application: Effective Learning Experiences and Instruction

Part 1: Course Project Interview #2

In the last 2 weeks you have focused on techniques for developing effective learning experiences, including making sure your lectures and discussions are active and engaging. You have learned from experts through your reading and on video. In this Application, you will learn from the firsthand experiences and perspectives of another professional-an adult educator working within the early childhood field.
To prepare for the interview, find the "Interview #2 With a Professional Adult Educator: Effective Learning Experiences and Instruction" in this week's Learning Resources or by clicking the link that follows.

Interview #2 With a Professional Adult Educator: Effective Learning Experiences and Instruction
This interview experience will provide you with a snapshot of the nature of the learning experiences with which the educator is most familiar, such as multiweek courses or individual information/training sessions; his or her emphasis on critical thinking, creative thinking and/or problem solving; his or her use of lecture and discussion; and professional tips for effective instruction. Add interview questions to the document that address your areas of curiosity or concern, as well as any other topics you'd like to cover.

After the interview, review your notes/taped record to get a coherent picture of the educator's experiences and points of view. Then, reflect on what you have learned and write a summary of:

The interview, including key points about the setting in the early childhood field in which the adult educator is working, adult learners with whom the educator works (who they are, experience they bring, strengths, challenges, etc.), advice or strategies for developing learning experiences, advice or strategies for presenting content effectively, and your reflection with regard to working in this area of the early childhood field

Ways in which this interview has informed your future work with adult learners
(Assignment length: approximately 3-4 pages)

Part 2: Compiling a Strategies for Teaching Adults Toolkit

Drawing from your Learning Resources this week, describe at least three strategies that you will add to your Toolkit for presenting content and guiding discussions to engage learners and provide a rationale for your choices.
(Assignment length: approximately 2 pages)Interview #2 With a Professional Adult Educator
Theme: Effective Learning Experiences and Instruction

Use the guidelines and questions that follow as you conduct your second of three interviews with a professional adult educator. The focus of this interview is planning learning experiences and effective instructional approaches, with an emphasis on lecture and discussion. However, be sure to use the interview to learn as much as possible about the setting(s) in which the educator works with adults. This interview informs your Application Assignment for Week 4 and Part 1 of the Course Project in Week 7.

Conducting Your Interview

• Take notes on this sheet and/or additional pages and/or record the interview with the adult educator's permission

• Use these questions as a guide

Interview Questions

• Please tell me about your professional background and how long you have been working with adult learners.

• Tell me about the professional life of an adult educator in the setting or settings in which you work with adult learners.

• From your experience, what are advantages of working in this setting? The disadvantages?

• How has your work changed during the time in which you have been involved? How do you see the field of working with adults in the early childhood field changing in the future-such as trends that may impact it?

• My coursework has focused on planning effective learning experiences for adult learners. Please describe the process that you follow in planning the curriculum and/or content of your program. What practices or strategies would you recommend?

• Do you emphasize critical thinking, creative thinking, and/or problem solving? If so, how?

• From your perspective, what are the greatest challenges in planning curriculum/content for the adult learners with whom you work and how do you meet those challenges?

• My coursework has also examined effective use of lecture to present content. Do you use lecture as an instructional approach? If so, what practices or strategies do you recommend for lectures that engage adult learners? If not, do you have other reasons for not using lecture to present content?

• What instructional approaches do you prefer, and why?

• A third topic of my coursework I would like to discuss is guiding whole-group and small-group discussion. Do you encourage or require discussion among your adult learners? From your experience, what are the biggest challenges in guiding discussion? What practices or strategies would you recommend? Are there approaches you prefer to group discussion?

• What has helped you grow the most as an adult educator in your field? What practices would you recommend to help me do the same?

• From your experience, how can I best prepare to work effectively with adult learners?

Additional Questions:

NOTE: Do not submit this interview sheet with your completed assignment. Save your interview notes and/or recording. You will need them as reference for completing the Course Project.